This invention relates to a track system for vehicles, in particular, to an improved mounting device for mounting a track system to an axle of a vehicle.
Agricultural vehicles such as tractors, combines and the like are commonly used in agricultural fields for a variety of jobs. Typically, these agricultural implements incorporate tires on which the implement is supported. Since these types of large agricultural implements are quite heavy, the weight of agricultural implements are distributed to a relatively small area on the tires of the implements. As a result, the tires on the agricultural implements tend to compact the soil in the fields. Compacted soil discourages the growth of crops planted in the fields which need loose soil to flourish.
In addition, since agricultural fields are often wet due to rain or watering, agricultural implements which enter the fields become bogged down in the mud due to the fact that there is such a small area of the tire in contact with the soil. As such, it is highly desirable to develop a track system for vehicles which disburses the weight of the agricultural implement over a larger area so as to reduce the compaction of the soil in the agricultural fields and to provide a track with a larger surface area which contacts the soil so as to prevent the agricultural implement from becoming bogged down in mud in the fields.
A prior track system for vehicles is disclosed in Kelderman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,949 assigned to the Assignee of the present invention, it is incorporated herein by reference. The Kelderman '949 patent discloses a track suspension system for a vehicle having a frame and a continuous track. The drive wheel is attached to the frame for engaging and driving the continuous flexible track. The drive wheel has a plurality of drive projections disposed thereon which engage depressions in the rubber track. As the drive wheel rotates, it engages and drives the continuous flexible track.
The drive wheel is typically mounted to the axle of the agricultural implement. It has been found that interconnecting the drive wheel to the agricultural implement may be difficult and time consuming. Further, once the drive wheel is mounted to the axle of the agricultural implement, access to the interior thereof for lubrication and the like is virtually impossible without disconnecting the drive wheel from the axle. In view of the foregoing, it is highly desirable to provide a drive wheel which may be quickly and easily mounted to the axle of the agricultural implement and which allows for lubrication of the axle.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a mounting device for mounting a track system to an axle of a vehicle.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a mounting device for a track system that allows access to the axle of the vehicle on which the track system is mounted.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a mounting device which allows a track system to be mounted to an axle of a vehicle quickly and easily.
In accordance with the present invention, a mounting device is provided for mounting a drive wheel of a track apparatus to a rotatable axle of a vehicle. The mounting device includes a generally cylindrical sleeve having first and second opposite ends. The cylindrical sleeve includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots therein. An attachment device interconnects the cylindrical sleeve and the axle of the vehicle, as well as the cylindrical sleeve with the drive wheel. It is contemplated that the slots in the cylindrical sleeve are adjacent the first end thereof.
A attachment structure includes an attachment flange extending radially from the first end of the cylindrical sleeve. A plurality of first attachment elements interconnect the attachment flange to the axle of the vehicle. A plurality of second attachment elements interconnect the attachment flange to the drive wheel. The attachment flange includes a first set of inner holes, and a second set of outer holes. The inner holes are a predetermined radial distance from the longitudinal axis of the axle. The outer holes are a predetermined radial distance from the inner holes.
Each of the plurality of first attachment elements extends through a corresponding inner hole and the attachment flange and into the axle of the vehicle. Each of the plurality of second attachment elements extends through a corresponding outer hole in the attachment flange and into the drive wheel of the track apparatus.
The cylindrical sleeve includes a spindle support wall adjacent the second end of the cylindrical sleeve and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the axle. The spindle support wall includes an axis hole having a center. The center of the axis hole being radially spaced from the longitudinal axis of the axle. The spindle support wall also includes a spindle opening therethrough. The spindle opening extending radially from the longitudinal axis of the axle. A spindle housing is mounted to the spindle support wall of the cylindrical sleeve. The spindle housing defines a spindle receipt passageway therethrough wherein the spindle receipt passageway is in communication with the opening in the spindle support wall of the cylindrical sleeve. A hub is mounted over the spindle housing to prevent access to the interior thereof.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a mounting device is provided for mounting a drive wheel to a rotatable axle of the vehicle. The mounting device includes a hollow, generally cylindrical sleeve having first and second opposite ends. The second end of the cylindrical sleeve being closed by a spindle support wall having an axle opening therein. An attachment flange extends radially from a first end of the cylindrical sleeve. A first attachment element interconnects the attachment flange to the axle of the vehicle. A second attachment element interconnects the attachment flange to the drive wheel.
The cylindrical sleeve may include a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots therein. The slots in the cylindrical sleeve are adjacent the first end of the cylindrical sleeve.
The attachment flange includes an inner hole of a predetermined radial distance from the longitudinal axis of the axle. The attachment flange also includes an outer hole of a predetermined radial distance from the inner hole. The first attachment element extends through the inner hole in the attachment flange and into the axle of the vehicle. The second attachment element extends through the outer hole in the attachment flange and into the drive wheel.
The support wall includes a spindle opening therethrough. The spindle opening extends radially from the longitudinal axis of the axle. A spindle housing is mounted to the spindle support wall of the cylindrical sleeve. The spindle housing defines a spindle receipt passageway therethrough which is in communication with the opening in the spindle wall of the cylindrical sleeve. A hub is mounted over the spindle housing for preventing axis to the interior of the spindle receipt passageway in the spindle housing.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a mounting device is provided for mounting a drive wheel to a rotatable axle of the vehicle. The mounting devices includes a generally cylindrical sleeve having first and second opposite ends. The cylindrical sleeve includes recesses therein. An attachment flange extends radially from a first end of the cylindrical sleeve. An attachment element interconnects the attachment flange to the axle of the vehicle. The attachment flange includes an aperture therein. The aperture is radially aligned with a corresponding recess in the cylindrical sleeve. An attachment element extends through a corresponding aperture in the attachment flange and into the axle.
It is contemplated that the recess in the cylindrical sleeve define a corresponding slot therein. The recess in the cylindrical sleeve is adjacent the first end of the cylindrical sleeve.
In yet a still further aspect of the present invention, a track apparatus having a frame is provided. The track apparatus is mountable on a rotatable axis of the vehicle and includes a continuous flexible track having an upper length and a ground-engaging lower length. The flexible track includes an inner surface having a plurality of lugs projecting therefrom. A mounting device mounts to the rotatable axle of the vehicle for rotational movement therewith. A drive wheel mounts to the mounting device for rotational movement therewith. The drive wheel sequentially engages a plurality of lugs projecting from the inner surface of the flexible track in order to drive the flexible track in response to rotation of the axle of the vehicle.
The track apparatus further includes a leading idler assembly mounted to the frame. The leading idler assembly includes a rotatable, leading idler wheel engaging the inner surface of the flexible track. A leading guide wheel is rotatably mounted to the frame. The leading guide wheel includes a circumferentially extending lug receiving channel for sequentially receiving the plurality of lugs therein and guiding the flexible track onto the leading idler wheel.
A trailing idler assembly is mounted to the frame. The trailing idler assembly includes a rotatable, trailing idler wheel engaging the inner surface of the flexible track. A trailing guide wheel is rotatably mounted to the frame. The trailing guide wheel includes a circumferentially extending lug-receiving channel for sequentially receiving the plurality of lugs therein and guiding the flexible track. A mid-roller assembly may be mounted to the frame and engage the inner surface of the flexible track along the lower length.
The mounting device includes a generally cylindrical sleeve having first and second opposite ends. The cylindrical sleeve having a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots therein. The mounting device also includes an attachment flange extending radially from a first end of a cylindrical sleeve. A first attachment element interconnects the attachment flange to the axle of the vehicle. A second attachment element interconnects the attachment to the drive wheel.